Rapidly dissolving thin films for oral ingestion are well-known in the art. These films are a recognized alternative to pills, tablets, liquids and other forms of consumable therapeutic or cosmetic substances. These thin films offer several advantages over prior art forms. They are compact and easily carried about, usually via a plastic case having a pliable hinge that allows repeated opening and closing. They are also capable of being ingested discretely, as opposed to ingestion of pills or tablets that generally require movement of the mouth or jaws.
Further advantages of thin films for oral ingestion are explained in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,177,096, which is incorporated herein by reference, U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,903, which is incorporated herein by reference, and U.S. patent application No. 2003/0206942, which is also incorporated herein by reference. These references further disclose the general chemistry and technology associated with thin films and various methods of manufacturing them.
It is also generally known in the art that rapidly dissolving films can be used for delivering therapeutic amounts of pharmaceutically active ingredients and cosmetically active ingredients. For example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,177,096, thin films can be used to deliver cosmetic agents such as breath freshening compounds, flavors for oral hygiene, fragrances for oral hygiene, active ingredients for oral cleansing and active ingredients for dental cleansing, as well as drugs such as hypnotics, sedatives, antiepileptics, antispasodics, diuretics, antitussive expectorants and antibiotics.
The medicinal properties of the Garcinia mangostana L. plant have increasingly been the subject of recent pharmacological and clinical studies. These studies have shown that some of the natural compounds derived from the plant yield surprising medicinal benefits, especially the xanthone compounds. The history of the Garcinia mangostana L. plant and the pharmacological benefits of individual xanthone compounds is described in more particular detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,730,333 (Garrity et al.), which is incorporated herein by reference.
Despite the known use of rapidly dissolving films for oral ingestion and the documented medicinal benefits of natural xanthones, the combination of these two distinct fields has been heretofore unknown. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a rapidly dissolving film material comprising xanthones suitable for oral ingestion. Moreover, there is a need in the art for a simple method of delivering therapeutic amounts of xanthones. There is a further need in the art for a xanthone product that can be easily and unobtrusively consumed. There exists a further need in the art for a consumable xanthone product that comprises xanthones derived from the fruit of the Garcinia mangostana L. plant, otherwise known as the mangosteen plant.